This is the first year I’ve been in Queens in say…maybe fifteen years? This is what happens when most of your family gets concentrated in Brooklyn and the Bronx. I never really knew the 7 train existed until it pulled up beside me on the platform and I was on it. My thirteen day vacation ended on a high note, which didn’t seem likely a few days after touching down at JFK, when
Hoffa brought me to
5 Pointz. Out of everyone I know, he always brings me to most interesting places. I definitely wouldn’t have come here on my own accord.
Get your cameras ready at Hunters Point because once the train hits that curve you definitely don’t want to be scrambling for it, and probably toppling over in the process. Overhead trains are cool by me, as long as they run straight. That curve is nice and all for taking great shots (a neat approach to doing a panorama of 5 Pointz if you ask me), but to be honest I felt like I was going to fly out and fall to my death. If you’re wondering, no actually, I don’t do roller coasters. I like to see and feel the stationary ground as much as possible.
5 Pointz is actually beautiful. I’ve seen a million pictures of it over the years in various books, films, and pictures, but to actually stand in front of all of that art, to reach out and touch it; smell the mix of paint, stagnant water, old car oil, and garbage; makes it a truly inspiring experience. I’ve ordered prints of my actual photographs (taken with my Nikon D3000) and
my Instagram versions in hopes of eventually compiling them into a little book to put besides the others on my graffiti and street art shelf. One of my favourite things to do in big cities, especially ones where hip-hop culture is still big, is to check out their graffiti scenes. In travelling I can only speak for Paris and New York City having the best ones (I’ll probably add Rio to that list if I ever get there) in my personal opinion. While we were walking over to 5 Pointz, he mentioned something about rumours that the building was to be torn down to make condos, which made us both laugh. I can’t imagine how much money would be lost in tearing down 5 Pointz. Who really is going to live next to the extremely loud 7 train that makes everything shake when it passes, not to mention pay,
and pay big, for all the graffiti clean up for the neighbouring areas that I guarantee will be bombed? The entire idea is ridiculous.
I don’t want to dwell on it, but my trip really didn’t go as planned, to say the least. I was completely over it only a few days in, but a few other friends insisted that I stay. I’m really glad I stuck it out. I don’t feel like I blew my disappointment out of proportion, but I do regret letting it loom over me for those few days. There was way more good than bad, I just guess I really wasn’t expecting it. I did a lot of networking, a good deal of partying, and definitely explored the five boroughs.
I can’t say it enough, but I really do appreciate every one who reached out to me while I was in town.
Labels: art, personal
photo taken by the one and only ghost
